Speeches by Glen.

“Chief Secretary, I can tell you that you go this way but once. You have an opportunity to tell this Committee today that you have personally reflected on the dynamics as they have worked through and you want to do something differently. You can assert that and we can collectively act on it.”

“Do you think that the Treasury understands that different paradigm of decision making and that genre of technology?”

“I wish you well.”

“I don’t know about that. The Government have typically framed their commitment on defence expenditure as a percentage of GDP. I think it is fair to say that they have said they will reach 2.7% by 2029-30. It is also true that the former Secretary of State, John Healey, resigned because he thought spending would need to…”

“Can we talk about the dynamic of the relationship again? Most people understand across Government that the job of the Treasury and the Chief Secretary is to control public spending and ensure that we get value for taxpayers’ money—that is how I interpret it. But people also understand that sometimes, in the nature of y…”

“I hear what you are saying. I must give Minister Pollard the opportunity to respond to the proposal by the Chair of the Committee on this joint mechanism to give—from the Ministry of Defence point of view, I would have thought—more opportunity to explain the evolving needs in the field, the evolving technologies that y…”

“I understand that. What I am trying to get at, and the big question that the country wants answered, is this: how much do the Government think we need to spend to defend the country? At the moment it appears that it is 2.7% by 2029-30, and then 3% at some point, potentially as late as 2034. Is there any more specificit…”

“So what you are saying is that the additional 0.3% between the commitment made explicitly, by virtue of what is in the defence investment plan and all the capabilities set out, will mean an increase to 3% of GDP by 2030 at the spending review?”

“I understand that; I have had some exposure to that, and I understand how difficult the decisions are. However, we have seen a very experienced and hugely respected Member of Parliament and Defence Secretary resigning an office that he had spent a very long time preparing for, presumably because he was not confident th…”

“I do not dispute that. I recognise that it is a significant addition, and you have said that a number of times. However, there is quite a big difference between an implied number from what you have set out as the collective view of Government, to be achieved by 2029-30, and where you would get to between this Parliamen…”

“How much do we need on our defence?”

“Minister, I recognise your depiction of an improved relationship in recent weeks, and I note the joint visits that you have done. But presumably, representing the Ministry of Defence, you would still be concerned that the Treasury has not done any work to prepare for the 3.5% commitment, as per the NATO obligation. If …”

“In essence, respectfully, you are saying that you have got that and you understand the need, and you have put in a few changes to secure confidence about how money will be spent before you agree to it. But I put it to you that the evidence of recent history—and going back many, many generations—is that something is qui…”

“My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. In responding to me, the Minister pointed out that it was necessary to increase the national living wage so that everyone had enough money, which is obviously a reasonable point to make. Does my hon. Friend feel that the pace at which that was done—it increased faster than …”

“Will the Minister give way?”

“I recognise that the Minister wants to come to what the Government are going to do, but does he not accept that the decisions already made in the last two years—with respect to the price of employment and the national living wage, the cost of employment with regard to legislation, and business rates—have depressed the …”

“I thank the Minister for her answer and the positive news about the sector apprenticeships. Hospitality is critical in Salisbury as we move towards our 800-year celebration next year, but last summer there was a 25% drop in temporary work in the sector, and the cost of employer national insurance contributions for part…”

“I welcome the appointment of Parminder Kohli as the chief executive officer of the Office for Investment. He is a personal friend of mine, and he will bring 30 years of experience in the oil industry. Will the Secretary of State set out what measures of success Parminder will face, so we can judge what impact the Offic…”

“11. What assessment he has made of trends in employment levels in the hospitality sector.”

“In Salisbury, we welcome zero emission buses, and the previous Conservative Administration worked with the ZEBRA—zero emission bus regional area—scheme to deliver 30 new buses. Last week, when I met Ed Wills, the new managing director of Salisbury Reds, we discussed a number of matters, including acoustic measures to m…”